Paycor vs. Paylocity: 2026 Comparison

Paylocity and Paycor both offer core payroll features like automation and tax compliance tools. Paylocity emphasizes automation and error detection, while Paycor focuses on employee self-service and flexible time tracking.

Paylocity: Automates payroll processing and ensures tax compliance with features like geolocation. Its system integrates with benefits and retirement plans and manages wage garnishments. Another notable aspect is its pre-submission audit system, designed to catch errors before finalization. Additionally, Paylocity facilitates global payroll and offers expense management alongside customizable options for check types and time-off accruals.

Paycor: Provides an employee self-service (ESS) approach to payroll management, enabling employees to manage benefits, review schedules, and handle timekeeping. It also allows employees to preview paystubs before payday for potential error correction. While salaried employee pay can be entered manually for recurring payments, Paycor integrates with external time clock systems and mobile apps to gather hourly employee data, streamlining the payroll process based on actual hours worked.

Payroll management for Paylocity:

96% of reviewers rated Paylocity’s payroll management as important, with a 4.4/5 satisfaction score, highlighting its strength in streamlining payroll operations. Our analysis of Paylocity reviews highlights its strengths in automating payroll tasks, ensuring accurate tax calculations, and providing accessible payroll history. The user-friendly interface and the ability to easily manage payroll records and tax forms are also appreciated. 

Payroll management for Paycor:

96% of reviewers rated Paycor’s payroll management as important, with a 4.4/5 satisfaction score, underscoring its reliability for core payroll tasks. Our analysis of more than 100 Paycor reviews reveals that it excels in efficiently automating payroll calculations and ensuring regulatory compliance, helping businesses reduce administrative burden in their payroll processes. Users also appreciate the system's organization, ease of use, and its capabilities for tracking employee hours and deductions.

Paylocity and Paycor both offer secure direct deposit and early wage access, with Paylocity focusing on self-service and account flexibility, while Paycor adds a reloadable card and deposit alerts for accuracy.

Paylocity: Emphasizes a self-service approach, enabling employees to manage their banking information and allocate their funds as they see fit. Additionally, Paylocity provides on-demand pay options, enabling employees to access their earned wages ahead of the scheduled payday. The platform ensures security through data encryption, multi-factor authentication, and regular audits, while its mobile app offers straightforward access to paystubs.

Paycor: It not only supports direct deposit into bank accounts but also offers an alternative through the Paycor reloadable card. This reloadable, fee-free card allows employees to access their wages up to two days before the standard payday, providing added financial flexibility. Furthermore, the Paycor platform includes alerts on its homepage to inform users of any discrepancies in direct deposit information, ensuring accuracy and transparency in payroll processes.

Direct deposit for Paylocity:

93% of reviewers rated Paylocity’s direct deposit feature as important, with a high satisfaction score of 4.7/5—highlighting its reliability for seamless payroll delivery. Users specifically highlighted its seamless integration with the payroll system, simplifying the process, and the convenience of accessing pay information via a mobile app. This suggests Paylocity is a suitable platform for businesses prioritizing streamlined payroll processes and convenient employee access to payment information. 

Direct deposit for Paycor:

100% of reviewers rated this feature as important, with a strong satisfaction score of 4.7/5—showcasing its consistent value. Paycor's direct deposit feature is highly valued for its convenience, reliability, and security. Users appreciate its role in ensuring timely wage distribution, simplifying administrative tasks, and reducing the risks associated with physical checks. The ease of setting up direct deposit and allowing employees to manage their own banking information are also notable advantages.

Paylocity offers a balance of ready-made reports and the ability to tailor reporting to specific organizational needs, while Paycor emphasizes user-driven customization and real-time visibility into key payroll metrics.

Paylocity offers:

• A range of standard payroll reports for common needs, such as payroll journals, tax details, and employee earnings.

• Customizable reporting features that allow businesses to modify existing reports or build new ones from specific data points.

• Tools for in-depth analysis of payroll data and identifying trends.

Paycor offers:

• Adaptable reporting and analytical tools, allowing users to customize reports with specific data and filters.

• Real-time dashboards for analyzing key metrics like labor expenses and overtime.

• Data analysis tools for identifying patterns and pre-configured compliance reports, such as tax reports.

Payroll reporting for Paylocity:

90% of reviewers rated Paylocity’s payroll reporting as important, with a solid satisfaction score of 4/5—highlighting its value in financial oversight. Users frequently noted the system's user-friendliness and the availability of both pre-designed and adaptable reports. This indicates that Paylocity is a viable option for businesses looking for versatile reporting capabilities to meet diverse payroll needs. 

Payroll reporting for Paycor: 

Users find the payroll reporting feature to be a valuable asset for both accessing and analyzing their payroll data. The ability to customize reports to specific needs and the level of detail provided are cited as positive aspects. Plus, the integration with accounting software enhances its utility for financial management. Strong user satisfaction (average rating 4.3/5, with 95% considering it important) highlights Paycor's reporting as a key component for businesses needing adaptable and informative payroll insights, particularly when connecting with accounting systems.